Boldin on Baltimore: 'It's a place that fits me'

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin, center, stands with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, and Ravens president and general manager Ozzie Newsome, right, after the NFL team announced the signing of Boldin, a former Arizona Cardinal wide receiver, to a four-year, $28 million contract Monday, March 8, 2010, at Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/ Steve Ruark)
— AP

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin, center, stands with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, and Ravens president and general manager Ozzie Newsome, right, after the NFL team announced the signing of Boldin, a former Arizona Cardinal wide receiver, to a four-year, $28 million contract Monday, March 8, 2010, at Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/ Steve Ruark)
/ AP

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin speaks during a news conference after the NFL team announced the signing of the former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver to a four-year, $28 million contract Monday, March 8, 2010, at Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)— AP

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin speaks during a news conference after the NFL team announced the signing of the former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver to a four-year, $28 million contract Monday, March 8, 2010, at Ravens headquarters in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)
/ AP

OWINGS MILLS, Md. 
Ozzie Newsome has lamented his poor judgment about Anquan Boldin for years.

Newsome decided against selecting Boldin in the 2003 NFL draft. Given the opportunity to make things right, the Baltimore Ravens general manager couldn't resist trading for the three-time Pro Bowler.

The Ravens introduced their new primary wide receiver to the media Monday, and although Boldin signed a lucrative contract only minutes earlier, Newsome appeared to be the happiest man in the room.

"When Anquan came out in the draft, he was the subject of a lot of discussion in our war room," Newsome said. "Not too many times do you get a chance to recover from a mistake. I think I made a mistake in that draft, to worry more about measurables than about the football player. And what Anquan is is a football player."

On Friday, Newsome traded a third- and fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Arizona Cardinals for Boldin and a fifth-round selection. After passing his physical, Boldin - who was slated to receive $3 million in 2010 - signed a new four-year, $28 million contract that includes a guaranteed $10 million.

"Arizona had been the only home I'd known professionally. I'd been there seven years and built a lot of relationships," Boldin said. "It's kind of hard to leave something like that. But in order for us to grow as human beings, change is necessary. And this is definitely a welcome change for me."

In his seven seasons with Arizona, Boldin had 586 catches for 7,520 yards and 44 touchdowns. He's the kind of player the Ravens sorely lacked: a physical, go-to wide receiver who can absorb a hit and dole one out.

Boldin is expected to enhance an inconsistent passing game that last year ranked 18th.

"This is something we've been hoping for," coach John Harbaugh said. "He fits us just perfectly. We're excited about what's in store."

The union of Baltimore and Boldin might have happened years earlier, but Newsome decided against drafting him out of Florida State because Boldin had an injury-riddled college career. Boldin also ran the 40-yard dash in an unimpressive 4.71 seconds at the scouting combine.

Arizona grabbed Boldin in the second round after Baltimore took defensive end/linebacker Terrell Suggs (10th overall) and quarterback Kyle Boller (19th) in the first round. Suggs became a star for the Ravens, while Boller was an occasional starter.

Since that draft, Newsome said he rarely passed up the chance to see Boldin in action, either on tape or on TV.

"I always enjoyed watching him - the way he approached the game and the way he played the game," Newsome said. "Now I have the opportunity to watch him play for us in Baltimore."

If Boldin had run a faster time in the 40 in 2003, his career with the Ravens might have gotten under way much sooner.

"In that situation, I got blinded a little bit and didn't appreciate the football player as much as I should have," Newsome acknowledged. "It took me seven years, but I finally got it right."